Toy building-blocks.



' PATENTED JUNE so, 1903. P. THOMSEN, TOY BUILDING BLOCKS. APPLICATIONFILED APE-16, 1903.

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PATENTED JUNE 30,- 1903. P. THOMSEN. TOY BUILDING BLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 1903.

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trms cu. molaum m: NORRIS P N9. 732,384. PATENTED JUNE 3,0, 1903.

I F. THOMSEN.

- TOY BUILDING BLOCKS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.- 15, 1903, H0 MODEL. 3 BHEET8-SKEET'8.

THE mmms PETERS coy. moruu'mm WASHXNDTON. nv c4 UNITED STATESFatented'june3( 1903.

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TOY. BUILDING-BLOCKS.

SPEGIFIGATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 732,384, dated June30, 1903.

Application filed April 15, 1903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK THOMSEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newport News, in the county of Warwick and State ofVirginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in ToyBuilding-Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inbuilding-blocks for use in the amusement andinstruction of children, andhas for its objects to provide a series of blocks of a novelconstruction which may be joined together in various ways to producedifferent kinds of structures or buildings and which may be arranged indifferent ways in the same structure to vary the ornamental appearancethereof, to provide a series of building-blocks of elastic material, andfinally to provide a novel means for securing the various blocksremovably together.

My invention will be more clearly understood from the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure'l is a front elevation of a house built withmy improved blocks. Fig. 2 is an end view, partly in section and partlyin elevation, of the structure shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view ofone course or layer of blocks employed in this construction of the houseshown in Fig. 1 and illustrating different forms of blocks which may beemployed. Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of a cornerblock. Fig. 5 is aperspective of a straight block or unit. Fig. 6 is a cross sectionthrough the same. Fig. 7 represents in elevation and vertical section,respectively, a window or door frame; and Fig. Sis a View in elevationof a post.

Referring now to the drawings, and especially to Fig. 3 thereof, 1indicates a straight block or unit (shown in detail in Figs. 5 and 6)and which, as shown, for example, at 2 and 3 and as clearly illustratedat other parts of this figure, may be made in various lengths.4indicatesacorner-b1ock. (Shown alsoin detail in-Fig. 4.) 5 indicates acompound block for use in forming and joining to the main structure orhouse rectangular towers, wings, or bays; 6, another form of compoundblock, and 7 circular blocks, the blocks 6 and 7 being used inconstructing round or half-round towers, bays, or the like; 8, anotherform of Serial No. 152,787. (No model.)

compound block for connecting porches and balconies to the house, and 9forms of compound blocks for connecting fences or gardenwalls to houseoi for forming interior division- Walls. I have thus indicated blockshaving different shapes or configurations with a view to indicate moreclearly the disposition and relative association of these blocks in thepractical application of my invention to the construction of a house ofthe shape shown in the drawings. It will be manifest, however, that notonly can the blocks indicated be arranged in a different manner fromthat shown, but also that blocks having a different configuration orshape from theillustrated examples may be employed, and I do not,therefore, wish to limit my invention to the shape or configuration ofthe blocks employed except in so far as such shape or configurationforms a part of the novel construction of this block, as hereinafterindicated.

As illustrated particularly in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7, each of the blocksor units employed is. provided on one side with a dovetail groove 10 andon its opposite side or edge with a tongue 11, the tongue of any of theblocks or units being adapted to be received snugly into the groove ofany of the other blocks or units to form'a close interlockingconnection. I

A salient feature of this invention resides in making the various blocksor units from an elastic material, and to this end I construct them fromany one of several well-known materials or compositions. Thus I mayemploy india-rubber, in which case the rubber would be vulcanized anddeodorized, or I may employ a compound of rubber and cork or artificialwhalebone on a substance called rubber-leather, which is made from anindia-rubber cement and ground cork, wood, or paper-pulp or otherfibrous substance. Whatever the material or composition employed, Icombine with the same suitablepigments' to give any desired variety ofcolors.

By forming the blocks or units of an elastic material the tongue of oneblock or unit by the use of slight pressure can be pressed into ICO ed.Furthermore, there will be no danger of chipping the blocks in puttingthem together or taking them apart.

The straight blocks, as also the legs of bloc s forming corners, wings,&c., will be made in different lengths, so as to break joints inadjoining cou rses. The outside face of the blocks may be made toresemble rough or fancy cut stone and the inner surface be made smooth,or the outside face may be of one color and the inside of another, sothat the same blocks by being reversed may form different designs.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a window or door frame constructed as a singleunit and provided at one end witha groove 10 and at the other with atongue 1l. This unit is provided at one end with a slot or opening 12and at opposite sides with grooves 13, whereby a strip of glass or micamay be inserted and held in position.

In Fig. 8 is shown a post or column which may serve as typifying theconstruction of the pillars 14 or of the newels 15. (Shown in Fig. 1.)As shown, this post is provided at opposite ends with outwardly-flaringdowelpins 16, and the parts with which the posts, pillars, or newels areconnected will of course be provided with correspondingly-shaped holes;but said post may have a tongue and groove, like the other units,instead of dowelpins.

For the upper part of the house I provide a series of blocks 17, each ofwhich has a projection 18 on one side, of ornamental configuration, toform, with other similar projections on corresponding blocks, a corniceand on the opposite side a projection 19 to serve as a support for oneend of the roof-support 20, the other end resting against some otherportion of the house. The lid of the box containing the blocks may beconveniently used for forming the roof. In like manner other blocks 21may be provided with projections 22 to serve as floor-supports. Similarblocks 23 may have projections 24 to form window caps or ledges.

To facilitate the placing of each block in the place intended for it inany design, I contemplate stamping each block with a distinctive mark,preferably a number, and all blocks of the same size and shape will havethe same number. The difi'erent designs which may be built with one setof blocks will be printed on a sheet, and on this sheet each block willbe given the mark which corresponds to the block to be used in the placedesignated by this mark. Fig. 1 may be taken as an illustration of sucha design-sheet, the mark on each block being omitted to preventconfusion.

From the preceding description, taken in connection with the drawings,it will be seen that given a suflicient number and variety of myimproved blocks there is almost no limit to the number and variety ofdesigns that maybe formed with the same and that owing to the shape ofthe blocks shown in Fig. 3 a house built from the same will be square,plumb, and true and architecturally correct, besides being substantialinstructure. Thus these blocks will not only aiford amusement, but willtend to train the eye to an appreciation of artistic efiects and correctarchitectural designs.

In making the various blocks or units I prefer to round off or slightlybevel the corners or edges 24 of the tongues 11 and also the edges 25'of the grooves 10, as shown in Fig. 6. This construction will enable amore ready and easy assembling of the units and overcome the liabilityof these edges to chip off or break.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new is-- 1. Atoy building-block formed of elastic material having two sidesrepresenting inner and outer wall-surfaces, and provided on one of itsother sides with a tongue and on the opposite side with a groove, thesaid tongue and groove being slightly tapered and adapted to be pressedinto interlocking engagement with a corresponding tongue and groove of asimilar block to form a dovetail joint.

2. In aset of take-down toy building-blocks, a plurality of units formedof elastic material, each unit being provided on one side with adovetail tongue and on its opposite side with a dovetail groove, thesaid tongues and grooves extending throughout the entire length of theunits and adapted to be pressed into interlocking engagement one withthe other, and some of the units of the set being so shaped as to formcorners and projections in a building construction, all substantially asfor the purpose described.

3. A toy building-block provided on opposite sides with a dovetailtongue and a dovetail groove, and having on one of the remaining sides aprojection to form a cornice and on the opposite side a projection toform a support.

4:. A toy building-block formed of elastic material and provided on oneside with a dovetail tongue and on its opposite side with a dovetailgroove, and having on'one of its other longitudinal sides a projection.

5. In a set of building-blocks, a unit formed of elastic material havingthe shape of the letter L, and provided on one side with an L- shapeddovetail tongue and on the other side with an L-shaped dovetail groove.

6. In a set of building-blocks, annit formed of elastic material, havingthe shape of the letter T, and provided on one side with a dovetailtongue and on the other side with a dovetail groove, said tongue andgroove conforming to the shape of the unit.

7. In a set of building-blocks, annit having the shape of the letter Z,and provided on one side with a dovetail tongue and on the other sidewith a dovetail groove, said tongue and groove conforming to the shapeof the unit.

8. In a set of building-blocks, a unit formed of elastic material havingthe shape of a T, with a right-angular extension at the foot, andprovided on one side with a tongue and on the other side with a groove,said tongue and groove both conforming to the shape of the unit.

9. In a set of building-blocks, a unit formed of elastic material havinga curved and a straight portion and provided on one'side with a tongueand on the other side with a groove, said tongue and groove bothconforming to the shape of the unit.

' 10. In a set of toy building-blocks, a unit in the form of a frame,having at one end a dovetail tongue and at the other end a dovetailgroove, and provided in one end with a slot and at opposite inner sideswith grooves.

11. In a set of toy building-blocks, a curved or arched unit formed ofelastic material and having a curved or arched tongue on one side 20 anda correspondingly-shaped groove on the other side, said tongue andgroove being of dovetail form.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit- 25

